Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with chylothorax linked to heartworm treated by surgery
By Birchard, S J & Bilbrey, S A·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1990·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Chylothorax associated with dirofilariasis in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old male domestic shorthair cat was brought in for treatment of chylothorax, a condition where fluid builds up in the chest. Tests showed that the cat had heartworm disease, which was linked to the fluid buildup. The vet performed surgery to ligate (tie off) the thoracic duct, which successfully resolved the fluid issue. Sixteen months later, the cat was doing well with no signs of breathing problems, and further treatment for heartworms was not needed since the fluid had stopped accumulating.
People also search for: cat chylothorax treatment · heartworm disease in cats · cat respiratory problems after surgery
Abstract
A 4-year-old castrated domestic shorthair cat was referred for treatment of chylothorax. Thoracic duct lymphangiography revealed partial obstruction of the cranial vena cava, as evidenced by filling of mediastinal lymphatics with dye instead of all of the dye entering the vena cava. The thoracic duct was ligated via left 10th intercostal space thoracotomy. Immediate postligation lymphangiography revealed successful duct ligation. Results of a serum ELISA for adult heartworm antigen that was performed before surgery were positive. Drug treatment for the heartworm disease was not recommended, because the pleural effusion had ceased (as determined by radiographic examination 3.5 and 9 months after surgery) and the cat was doing well clinically. Sixteen months after surgery, the owner reported that the cat was doing well and did not have signs of respiratory problems.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2211298/